By Elliat Albrecht

From fairs to biennials to exhibitions and residencies, participating in the global art world can mean a lot of travel – and with that comes a hefty price tag. Artists and gallerists understand that showing up to events in person is essential, but the costs of being there add up fast.

The Airbnb Artist Travel Grant is unlocking doors for artists and galleries in destinations around the world. As part of a multi-year partnership with Art Basel, Airbnb is dedicating USD 1.2 million over three years to supporting art-related travel. Art Basel fair directors nominate the recipients, championing fresh voices, ambitious practices, and new exhibitors. This year, 200 grants of USD 2,000 each have been distributed to people who are putting it to work in ways that are timely, personal, and often revealing about what travel means to a creative practice.

Pio Abad was already planning his trip to Venice when he heard he’d received the grant. The Manila-born, London-based artist is showing intricate ink drawings as part of ‘In Minor Keys’ at the Venice Biennale, and the news came, as he put it, ‘at the right moment.’ Abad, who’s lived in the UK for over two decades, described the opening week of the biennale as a whirlwind. The Airbnb Artist Travel grant will allow him to return to Venice after the noise subsides and to take his extended family with him to see the show. ‘It’ll be wonderful to go back and spend time with the exhibition, see the shows I missed, and most importantly, celebrate this milestone with my family,’ he says.

Travel is key to Abad’s life as an artist. ‘I feel like my practice has always thrived in itineracy,’ he says. ‘Whenever I travel to a different city – whether that’s New York, Honolulu, Cochin, or Mexico City – I become more appreciative of the global community that has embraced my work.’ Immersing himself in new neighborhoods also plays a significant role: ‘Having a sense of how locals navigate a city is an important part of understanding the culture of a place. Art is always a gateway to that experience.’

Liz Collins is using the grant for a residency and something even closer to her heart. This August, the New York-based textile artist and designer is spending a week at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts – an artist-led organization in Cape Cod that opens its print studio to artists throughout the year. Collins has been going to Provincetown for years, has taught at the Work Center, and knows the town well. So, she knows just how pricey accommodation has become. ‘Provincetown is notoriously expensive for lodgings,’ she says.

The Airbnb Artist Travel Grant has made the residency more accessible. Collins plans to spend the week working experimentally, producing a new series of silkscreens, and printing on textiles and paper. But this particular trip is about even more than art. Collins is hoping to bring her mother, who is 89, with her to Providence for the week. ‘Receiving the grant allowed me to actually be able to afford to do this work – and to have the promise of a special week in town by the water with my mom,’ she says.

For Collins, travel is an often-overlooked aspect of what artists actually need to thrive. ‘This kind of gesture is the sort of thing that should happen more in the art world. We don’t always need money, what we need is support. And this is a particular kind of support that is valuable for all artists and creatives.’

The same is true for galleries. Natia Bukia, co-founder of Bukia Vakhania gallery in Tbilisi, Georgia, used the grant to attend the opening days of the Venice Biennale. ‘Travel costs make up a significant part of a gallery’s expenses,’ she says. ‘Accommodation in Venice during that period is especially expensive, so it made a real difference.’

Bukia explains the grant’s impact from the perspective of operating far from major art world hubs: ‘As a gallery based in Tbilisi, traveling and building personal relationships with art professionals is particularly important for us, since not many international art professionals come here regularly,’ she explains. ‘Being physically present creates opportunities for conversations, encounters, and connections that simply cannot happen in the same way online.’

Traveling sustains artistic relationships and exposes practices to new contexts. But for many artists and galleries, participation is still hampered by cost – particularly when international travel and accommodation are involved. In the most practical sense, showing up starts with finding somewhere to stay.